The Invitation of Jesus

The Story of Invitation

God is a God of invitations. Virtually every book of the Bible could be summarized with one command in response to who He is: “Come to God.” The contents of each book either are saying it, implying it, or wanting you to come to the conclusion in light of what was written.

To be sure, when I say invitation, I don’t mean that God is a “take it or leave it” type of God. His invitation is a kingly command. It comes with the highest of authorities. It contains the most wondrous of destinations. It has the utmost aroma of love to it. To reject this invitation is a death sentence. It is an offense to His glory, to His reward, to His grace, to His love, and to Him. Rejecting God’s invitation is rejecting God. It is the epitome of foolishness and wickedness. To accept this invitation is life in the highest sense.

God created with an overflowing invitation for man to have a relationship with Him. He was the One who initiated that relationship. Even immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God quickly invited them to come to Him for covering. As we trace the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we see that it is God inviting sinners over and over to come to have fellowship with Him even as He draws near to them.

Think of the story of Moses. God initiates the invitation. He sees His people in captivity and bondage and He sends Moses to “invite” them out into the wilderness to live with Him. The story of Joshua is similar. We see a people who don’t have a home. God is still passionate about His invitation for them to come and dwell with Him not merely in a land but in a relationship.

The story of Judges and Ruth shows what inevitably happens to us when we reject such an invitation. Nevertheless, this didn’t take away God’s heart for His people. The story of David, Solomon, and the history of Israel and Judah reveals the same message. God is inviting His people into a covenant relationship with Him. Even when He removes His people from the land there is still a covenant promise in Jeremiah 31 that God has not forsaken His people. Ezra and Nehemiah, Zechariah and Malachi were all calling the people to return to God. It’s an invitation!

Then, it “seemed” as if God didn’t care. Silence filled the prophetic office. The covenant appeared to be nullified. Silence vibrated through the spiritual air. Was God finally tired of inviting His people?

The Inviting God in the Flesh

Here is where we meet Matthew 11:28. Remember who Jesus is. Jesus is the God of the Old Testament in the flesh. He is not a different God. How serious was God about inviting His people into a relationship with Him? He was so serious that the Son took on flesh and was born of the virgin Mary into poverty. In other words, He invited Himself into our world.

He went from the throne to homelessness. He went from a crown of glory to a crown of thorns. He went from unapproachable glory to being spit upon while carrying His cross. In other words, He invited Himself into our world.

It’s this Jesus in Matthew 11:28 who sounds exactly like Isaiah 55:1 when He says, “Come.”

Why does a President, Governor, or Mayor invite someone to a meal or a meeting? Most of the time, it is to get business done or for their own public appearance. The invitation goes to someone who is important or to someone who can further their cause or power. Even if one of these men or women invites someone they don’t agree with, it is still for their political purpose and pursuit of peace.

When is the last time you heard or saw someone in one of these offices pull up in their limousine to a downtown gas station and invite a homeless man to come to eat an extravagant meal? When is the last time you saw someone in one of these offices go to the lowest of the low or the societal reject and ask to be their friend? If this happens once or twice, you might read some heart-warming news stories. If this happens consistently, you will probably begin to be suspicious or get worried about the competency of the person in power.

But, this is exactly what Jesus does. From the moment He started His public ministry, He was constantly inviting poor sinners to come to Him. He was tenaciously tender in His invitations to the worst of the worst. “Come” must have been one of Jesus’ favorite words.

Authoritative and Gracious

The marvelous feature of this invitation is that out of his overwhelming authority (v. 27) Jesus encourages the burdened to come to him because he is “gentle and humble in heart.”

D.A. Carson

Matthew intends to paint the picture of a Jesus who is the King of Kings and also someone who is the most approachable Person in the history of humanity. He wants to show you someone of such unrivaled authority and yet unimaginable grace. It’s this Jesus who we see go from preaching the Sermon on the Mount that leaves people astonished at his authority (7:28-29) to coming down the mountain to touch an unclean leper.

Matter of fact, the leper cautiously comes and kneels down before Jesus and takes a gamble to see if Jesus would be willing to heal him. Jesus meets this man at the location of his unbelief. “Lord, if you will (or, we could make it more clear: “if you are willing”), you can make me clean.” Jesus responds with, “I am willing; be clean.”

Jesus is pulsating with passion for poor sinners. If all you knew was the Old Testament, and you knew it well, then you would immediately identify this Jesus as being someone similar to that same God. Indeed, the Holy Spirit awakens us to show us that He is the same God.

Isn’t this what we see in Isaiah 55:1? “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” The same God of Isaiah is the same God here!

Jesus vs Others

Other religions say, “Go and do.” Jesus says, “Stop doing and come.” Other worldviews say, “Do good and then come.” Jesus says, “You are not good and will never be good. Therefore, come to me for I am good.” Even Christians who forget the heart of Jesus fall back into the default works-righteousness mode. They tell themselves, “I must keep up a performance so that Jesus will still accept me.” Jesus says, “You have failed more times than you even know. That’s why you must not stay away from me any longer and come to me.”

When you play the game of Monopoly, there is a “community chest” card you can draw that says, “GO TO JAIL. Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.” Jesus is saying something similar. “Come to me. Come directly to me. Do not try to deal with your sins on your own. Do not try to beat yourself up enough over your sin before coming to me. Do not try to go and do enough good deeds before coming to me. Come directly to me. Waste no time in this. Do not linger. Do not hesitate. Do not worry about my response. Come to me.”

You know you’re growing in the Christian life the quicker you run to Jesus when you’re convicted of your sin, when you’re ashamed of your mistakes, and when you’re exhausted from trying to be good enough. Go to Jesus.

He is not saying, “Just come to this worldview.” Or, “just approve these doctrines.” Or, “just be apart of this community.” Or, “just pick up some of this grace.” He is saying, “Come to me.” The destination is Him! In Him, you will find all you need. If you miss Him, you miss everything. Everything outside of Jesus is counterfeit. Jesus is the real thing.

What Makes A Christian A Christian

The reason someone is a Christian is that they have Christ. Romans 5 tells us that our fundamental problem is that we were enemies with God. We were cut off. We were estranged. We were irreconciled.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us… For if while were were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.

Romans 5:6-8, 10

So weak that we could never make it to God. So ungodly that we didn’t even want God. Such sinners that we can’t be in His presence. Such enemies that the very thought of Him made us boil in anger.

This is when Jesus died for us.

But, you also see what happened because Jesus died for us, right? It’s because of Jesus’ death that He bridged the gap. This isn’t a bridge where we are able to come to God on our own power but a bridge where God comes to us! He is so eager to invite us to Him that He comes all the way to us to grab our hands to bring us home with Him.

In high school, one of the most interesting sights was during football and basketball games at half time. The home cheerleaders would almost always run across the field or court, grab the hands of the other cheerleaders and bring them over to their side to have a short time of fellowship with them. This is a picture of the invitation of God to us. He desires to be with us. He desires to bring us to Him. He won’t live without us.

This is the Jesus of Matthew 11:28. Jesus must have been overflowing with love when He said, “Come to me.” It was His most natural invitation.

The Heart of Jesus for You

This is Jesus’ heart for you. It’s an inviting heart, not a stingy heart. He doesn’t give you a spiritual stiff arm but extends His arms as wide as they were extended on the Cross. He is pleading for you to wait no longer. There are no steps before coming to Jesus. The first and only step is to come to Him! This He enables you to do.

If Jesus is truly good, if Jesus is truly wise, if Jesus is truly loving, then if He invites you to Himself He is saying that He is where you find all you need. Jesus would be sinning if He invited you anywhere else. Jesus would be the biggest fool if He told you to go to someone or something else. Jesus would be the most hateful being in all creation if He persuaded you to go to some other destination than Himself. Jesus is who you need.

How Not to Lose Heart During a Pandemic Quarantine

April 27, 2020

During our Question/Answer time following the morning service yesterday (you can find the service and the Q/A here), the first question was a great one, and I was only able to give a partial answer off the cuff - but several more answers have come to mind in the past day and a half. The question was this: “What are some ways to stay positive and not descend into the spiral of negativity which is so easy to get trapped in during this time?” The question recognizes how difficult the past two months have been - many feel trapped, stuck at home, stuck with their families, unable to go where they are used to going and do what they are used to doing. It is easy to get discouraged, to lose heart, to grow weary - even to grow discontent, bitter at God, covetous of the way we were able to live before this pandemic. To be sure, these are days of sorrow and loss, so if we are grieved and saddened and mourning, such emotion is to be expected and affirmed. Too often we try to do every thing we can not to be sad. Yet sadness, in a fallen world, is an appropriate response. But like the apostles, God calls us to be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (II Corinthians 6:10) - to grieve as those with a great hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). How do we do that?

I answered this question by reminding us how important it is to begin and spend and end our days in the word of God and in prayer. Meditating on God’s promises, God’s character, and God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ throughout the day will enable us not to lose heart as we struggle through a pandemic quarantine (see II Corinthians 4:16-18). But there are other good and helpful answers to this question. Here are a few (starting the list with the number 2 so that we don’t forget #1 above):

2. Spend time with other people. Now maybe you think, “This is exactly what I’m not able to do!!” or “It’s the people around me that are causing me to be so negative!!” It may be true that you aren’t able to be with people as easily as you once were. But I encourage you to be creative in how you spend time with others. Perhaps it something as simple as an old fashioned phone call, or as high tech as a Zoom or Facetime video chat. Perhaps you sit in someone’s driveway and talk to them or eat lunch together from a distance. Perhaps you participate in the new social distanced practice of drive-by home parades, and talk from your cars. If you’re able to combine #1 and #2, all the better - how we need to be encouraging one another with the word of God, strengthening one another in the Lord (I Samuel 23:16; I Thessalonians 5:11). Make sure to spend time with people who are going to comfort and sympathize with you, but who will also challenge and rebuke your discontentment, and exhort you to put your trust in the Lord with them.

3. Get outside. This may seem like an “unspiritual” answer - but when you recall that God has made us body and soul, and that God has made all things to display His glory, then Christians must never forget that one of the best ways not to lose heart is to spend time in nature, in God’s creation. Not only will you get needed vitamins (and recognizing that our souls are affected by our bodies, how important it is during these times to recognize the connection between physical health and spiritual health), but you will get needed perspective. God is sustaining all creation, and He will sustain you all your life. See the majesty and goodness of God in plants, animals, bodies of waters, the blowing wind, the brilliant sun. Read Psalm 8, Psalm 19, Romans 1:18ff., Acts 14:17 - then go out and see the power and kindness of God.

4. Serve someone. One of the best ways to fight negativity and discouragement and a downcast spirit, is to focus on someone other than yourself. Often our negativity is sinful: it’s selfish, self-centered, envious, jealous, bitter, prideful, discontented, covetous. Fight off these bad fruits by seeking to do good to someone around you. Love your neighbor, whether through writing them a letter, making or baking them something, buying something for them, doing something unexpected for them, etc. Joy comes from making someone else happy. Be a blessing to someone else in need - and you won’t only see that your needs are not perhaps as large as you’ve made them out to be, but you will also gain the blessing promised in Jesus’ word: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

Undoubtedly there are more ways not to lose heart as we suffer through this season of affliction - so please leave your answers in the comment section below!

More Questions and Answers!

April 20, 2020

Yesterday we tried something new - a brief time of questions and answers after the morning worship. Our goal was to have some interaction that we’re prevented from having since we aren’t gathering corporately right now, as well as to provide an opportunity for further unpacking of the rich truths of God’s word. We received great questions via text, Facebook, and YouTube, and most of them arose out of the sermon I had just preached on I Peter 1:1-2. (If you would like to hear the sermon or see yesterday’s Q/A time, please click here.) We’ve had good feedback from you on this experiment, and do plan on continuing it while we’re only live-streaming our services.

Due to the limited time, we weren’t able to answer all the questions we received. So I want to take this chance to answer some of those briefly.

1. Can you offer any words of encouragement for Christians to pursue personal holiness and ministry to our communities and neighbors in times of trials (like now) when many times our gut instinct is to just wait for “normal” to return?

I’m immediately reminded of C. S. Lewis’ statement in his essay “Learning in Warfare,” found in the book Weight of Glory: “If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work.  The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.” Lewis was talking particularly about the work of education, gaining knowledge as a student. But replace “knowledge” with “holiness” or “ministry opportunities” and you have a great answer to this question. Yes, the pursuit of holiness and ministry is made more difficult in some ways given our circumstances. But from another point of view, other ministry opportunities - like phone calls, Zoom chats, letter writing, driveway conversations with neighbors, shopping for shut-ins - are more convenient and more normal during these days. And certainly there an abundance of ministry opportunities in these fearful days! In addition, our new circumstances of sheltering in place with family members, dealing with so much loss, all the uncertainty surrounding this virus, etc., are showing us new areas of sin and unbelief that we need to put to death and apply the gospel to, and new areas where we can strive to be holy as God is holy. Even if things never go back to “normal,” the call to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to help others do the same, remains our duty (II Peter 3:18). And our God is sufficient at all times to help us by His Spirit to become more like Jesus. Nothing is too difficult for Him, so let us press on for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ, however abnormal the times are.

2. I don’t understand the distinction you made between the two different definitions of sanctification. How can one live a life of holiness without being daily made more like Christ?

I hope that I didn’t communicate that we can live a life of holiness without being daily made more like Christ, for that is not at all what I intended to say at all! Rather, the distinction I was making was between what we might call positional/definitive sanctification, and what we might call progressive sanctification. Sanctification is both an act and a process. Peter in I Peter 1:2 is referring to the former. The Holy Spirit sets us apart from sin and consecrates us to God at the beginning of the Christian life so that we might begin to live a set apart life in our daily experience. Every Christian has been sanctified in Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 1:2; 6:11) and is being sanctified in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:19; I Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23). The act of the Spirit’s setting us apart/sanctifying us is the basis of His ongoing work in making us more and more holy. The Bible uses the language of “sanctification” in both ways, though more frequently it is speaking of a definitive sense - although we typically use the language to refer to the process of growing in Christlikeness (as do the Westminster Standards). Both senses are absolutely vital to a right understanding of the Scripture, and to our glorifying and enjoying God. So let us pursue holiness, knowing that we are already saints - holy ones - in the Lord Jesus by His Spirit.

3. There are some pastors who call themselves apostles. What should we think about that?

This is an unfortunate and unbiblical practice that I wish would end. It is clear that the apostles were foundational to the church of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20; 4:11), and that there were specific qualifications to be an apostle. The apostles had seen the Lord Jesus Christ in human form and performed signs and wonders to attest their calling. Though Paul was not a part of the original group of apostles, but was one untimely born, he saw the Lord and performed the signs of an apostles: “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?…The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works” (I Corinthians 9:1; II Corinthians 12:12). Pastors who call themselves apostles not only denigrate the biblical office of apostle, but may also be claiming an authority that belonged only to those the Lord Himself gave this title and status.

4. Can we be too heavenly-minded that we’re no earthly good?

Possibly, if being heavenly-minded wrongly leads one away from engagement in the world to live a life of service and good works toward the saints and those outside the church. But this question hints at a false dichotomy, as if heavenly-mindedness and earthly-goodness are incompatible. True spirituality, true heavenly-mindedness, should always catapult us from the presence of God into the brokenness of this world with love and grace. As we seek the things that are above, and set our minds on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:1-2), then the way we relate to other people, the way we do our jobs, the way we approach the lost, will be transformed (see Colossians 3:5-4:6). Those who are closest to the Lord Jesus through prayer and His word should be the quickest to desire to “do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

5. How does predestination practically change the way I live in my suffering?

When we know that God has chosen us for salvation from before the beginning of the world, then no matter what we go through, we know that He is working it for our good and our final salvation (Romans 8:28). We know that trials are not coming because He is still angry with us, for He has chosen us to be covered by the blood and righteousness of Jesus His Son, on whom He poured out His full wrath in our place (I Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:1-12). We know that no difficulty or hardship can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). We know that we can endure all things for the sake of those whom He has chosen for salvation, as Paul did in prison (II Timothy 2:10). There are many other ways to answer this question, but these four are sufficient for now. The next two sermons in I Peter will touch on this theme in part, so stay tuned!

The Immunity of Christian Hope, By David Elston

April 1, 2020

This article was recently posted by one of the ministries we support, Biblical Counseling and Training Ministries (BCTM). May it encourage your heart today!

The Immunity of Christian Hope
by David Elston (a counselor at BCTM)

What hope do we have during this season of upheaval and uncertainty? Where is peace found when our normal sources of security - family, friends, money, jobs - are up in the air? The coffee shop barista who has lost a job, the high school senior who will miss prom, the restaurateur who is now considering bankruptcy - where can they find hope in the midst of their loss? 

Coronavirus has made one thing obvious: hope and peace cannot be found in things that, to use the words of Jesus, “moth and rust destroy” and “thieves break in and steal.” To use more updated terms, things that Coronavirus can infect and affect. So then, to where or to whom do we go for hope? Jesus offers us a hope that is utterly immune to Coronavirus and that will outlast the collapse of civilization: his resurrection. With Easter Sunday being less than two weeks away, this is an especially appropriate time to reflect on this hope and how it applies to our current predicament.

Before Good Friday was Good

Before the resurrection occurred, the cross was everything but victorious. Friday was everything but Good Friday. What hopelessness must have been in the hearts of the two women as they watched the limp body of Jesus laid in the tomb! What panic must have peaked in the disciples as the stone was rolled in front of the tomb! They had placed every last ounce of hope in Christ and the kingdom that he promised to establish. They had entered into Jerusalem just five days ago with their heads held high as their Master was praised with palm branches as King. And now those same heads wagged with shame and grief over the complete humiliation of that King.

It is probably not too difficult for you to empathize with the overwhelming emotions of the disciples as you see COVID-19 threaten your security and take away things that are precious to you. The disciples had just witnessed the greatest tragedy in all of history. Of course they are panicking! Of course they’ve fallen into a black grief! Could there be anything worse than people putting to death God's Beloved who came to save them? Creatures putting to death their own Creator?

The Dawn of Hope

But let’s continue to track with their emotions as hope enters into the Story. The Sunday morning after Jesus died, in the midst of their panic and grief, Mary Magdalene and her friends went to visit the tomb. And we know they didn’t have a clue what news awaited them there, because they were discussing on the way how they were going to get the tomb’s stone rolled out of the way so they could see his body and mourn.

When they got to the tomb, an angel delivered the news to the mourning women: “He has risen!” “What? No, there’s no way. Can't be…can it?” A bewildered hope entered their hearts that perhaps Friday was not the end of the Story. A wild faith emerged that looked beyond the limp Body taken down from the Cross to the power and faithfulness of God. Matthew calls this mixture of emotion, “fear and great joy,” Mark calls it “trembling and astonishment.” However you describe it, Jesus’ disciples were blindsided by the hope of the resurrection. Akin to their Old Testament ancestors, they found the answer to the question, “Is anything too wonderful for God?”

But perhaps the most fearful, joyful news of that Sunday morning was that the cross of Friday was, after all, a good thing. The very thing that caused such grief was now a cause of joy. The very thing that had humiliated their King now exalted him. For his death was not the end of his kingdom, but its inauguration. Apart from the resurrection, Jesus was just another martyred prophet. But his resurrection declared his sacrifice an acceptable payment for the sins of his people. What a fearful, joyful thing that our God can take news as terrible as the crucifixion of the Son of God and turn it into the Good News that we know it to be today. This is why the cross has for so long been the defining symbol of Christianity.

The resurrection also serves, in this sense, as the basis of Christian hope in suffering. For if even the death of God’s Son can be made into such good news, what sorrow of ours will not undergo the same transformation? Let us not doubt God’s power and promise to apply the resurrection to our own sufferings, sooner or later. As CS Lewis once said, let us not say of a certain sorrow that no future bliss can make up for it, forgetting that heaven works backwards: God does not only promise to make up for our suffering with a consolation prize, but promises to transform our agonies into glories, just as he did the tragedy of the Cross. Christ, in his resurrected body, is the Living Hope that all who believe in him will share in the blessings of his resurrection. Some of those blessings we receive now (the "down payment") and some we'll receive in the age to come.

And as you consider your present circumstances, here in the midst of COVID-19, can you look beyond the limp body of our nation's economy to the faithfulness of God? Can you see a future beyond the crucifixion of your career, a future that rests in the hands of a King who loves you enough to take a bullet for you? As you suffer, will you do so in hope, believing that whatever agonies await you in the next month can and will be transformed by the same God who transformed the agony of Jesus?

Suffering and Hope Go Hand in Hand

Now, that does not mean we are called to be stoics who do not feel any pain - not at all. Jesus himself was “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” when sickness took the life of his friend Lazarus. And as Lazarus’ friends and family mourned their loss, Jesus himself wept over his world that had been infected by death. 

What’s happened in China, Spain and Italy is awful. What’s unfolding now and in the next few weeks in the United States is very real and scary. In the past two weeks, I’ve talked with pastors who wept over the devastation of their flock, 12th graders who won’t walk at graduation, bosses overwhelmed at having to lay off half their employees, moms floundering to teach their children at home. My own (very social) child burst into tears at the thought of weeks (months?) without seeing his friends. Wherever you are in this mix, however you are suffering, take a moment and imagine with me the face of Jesus as he wept over the death of Lazarus. How does that face look to you? Did his eyes simply get moist or did the tears flow freely? Did he cry quietly to himself or sob aloud? Did he hide his face or did he let everyone see the pain on it, and see the heaving of his chest? Whatever it looked like, it was striking enough that the bystanders looked at him and said, “See how he loved him!” It was obvious to them that Jesus must have cared very deeply for Lazarus and his two sisters to have wept in that way. Do you know that in the same way he wept over the loss of Lazarus, he weeps with you, believer, over your losses? And the implication of his tears are the same for you as well: “See how he loves us!”

But for the sake of hope, we must remember the rest of Lazarus’ story. Jesus wept knowing that five minutes later, Lazarus would be alive and well again, resurrected from the dead. In other words, hope and suffering were not contradictory for Jesus, but could both be in his heart at the same time. Surely we, too, are allowed to grieve, to be deeply moved, to weep over suffering. And just as it was with Jesus, rather than deep distress and grief forcing hope out of our hearts, such suffering can go hand in hand with hope. 

COVID-19 can infect our bodies. It can collapse the economy. It can disrupt our way of life. But it cannot infect our hope if it’s in Christ, who overcame the world; in Christ, who lovingly died for us; in Christ, who resurrected from the dead. For our fate is already secured, being wrapped up and joined to his fate. So take heart, you who are in Christ, you have a hope that is immune to all suffering, even the Coronavirus.

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms Through Times of Storm

In light of the current pandemic we’re experiencing as a nation, and with my concern for the people of God in particular, I found myself reflecting on the statement “All we as Christians need for faith and practice is found in the law of God.” While reflecting on this statement, the following questions then came to mind: “How can we, in light of our current circumstances, practically experience and live out this statement in a manner that centers our focus on Christ, and not on the negative emotions we’re so prone to wallow in? How can we be strengthened in a time when a key source of our strength, our fellowship with one another, has been restricted or taken away?” My thoughts:

In the Reformed tradition, based on Scripture, we assert that the requirements of the law of God, as it pertains to our salvation, have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and thus, we are saved by faith in him, apart from the law. This reality is a source of great comfort for those who know and understand the depths of their own sin and waywardness. We also assert that the law still has a purpose in our lives; it guides us into paths of righteousness for our Lord’s sake, for His glory, and towards the betterment and sanctification of his people. Our Westminster Larger Catechism, answering the question, “What are the duties required in the first commandment?” provides the following answer:

The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

Encapsulated in this answer is an acknowledgement of God’s control, His authority, and His presence among, and specifically with, those who are His. It is in times like these that we need to be reminded of our duty to engage in the volitional acts described in our catechism. The Apostle Paul sums it up well, writing to the church at Philippi, and by extension to us:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

Our Lord has graciously called us to live in the manner described above. Let us, therefore, respond by committing our hearts to walking in the manner he has prescribed, turning to him, loving him, and walking with him, in Christ our Lord, and not our fears and anxieties. As we experience the type of separation that goes against the very grain of the gathering together we’ve been called to (Hebrews 10:25), let us take this opportunity to strongly lean into the Everlasting Arms: through prayer, increased personal reading of God’s Word, family devotions, and encouraging one another as much as is possible, through the means (phone, media, distance socializing) we have available to us.

In His Service, Pastor Dean

Hope for the Hurting and Confused

March 17, 2020

What surreal and sobering times in which we live! And yet we can confidently say with David, “But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hands…” (Psalm 31:14-15). Each day this week, and for the indefinite future, the staff at Pear Orchard will aim to post a brief word of encouragement and counsel here on our website. This morning I want to share three truths that have been bouncing around in my head and heart these past days.

1. Plague and pestilence are from our sovereign Father. In all our human efforts to stem to spread of this virus, let us not forget that this physical, social, and economic disaster is according to the sovereign will of God. He was not caught by surprise by this outbreak like we have been, for He “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). We learn that pestilence and disease specifically is from the hand of God in I Chronicles 21. After David had sinned against the Lord by numbering the people of Israel, God sent the prophet Gad to declare to David, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Take for yourself either three years of famine, or three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel’” (I Chronicles 21:11-12). David responds, “I am in great distress; please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.” George Armstrong, a Presbyterian pastor in Norfolk, Virginia, during the days of the yellow fever epidemic in 1855, noted regarding David’s words: “Thus he speaks, not because David did not regard famine and war as a part of God's providence, but in the pestilence, the mysterious, the terrible pestilence, "the pestilence that walketh in darkness, the destruction that wasteth at noon-day" [Psalm 91:6], the soul instinctively acknowledges the presence of an agent, fresh from before the eternal throne.” God sovereignly sends pestilence, even as He sovereignly sends the hurricane or tornado, according to His inscrutable, mysterious will. Like any trial, though, for the people of God this affliction comes as His fatherly discipline (Hebrews 12:5ff.; I Corinthians 11:32). So David could acknowledge that suffering through a period of plague (which in that case killed 70,000 Israelites) was actually falling into the hands of a God whose mercies are great. “Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him,” declared Job in Job 13:15. And so must we hope in Him as we endure this judgment of God from His loving hand of discipline. He causes all things to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28). And so we can say with Jeremiah, “For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion, according to His abundant lovingkindness” (Lamentations 3:21-32).

2. Our joy in changing times is grounded in our unchanging salvation. Few passages of God’s word state this as explicitly as I Peter 1:3-6. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials…” As we are distressed by various trials for a little while, as God deems it necessary, we greatly rejoice in “this” - and what is the “this”? It is the salvation that God has accomplished for us in Jesus Christ. Salvation past - God has raised Jesus from the dead, and has caused us to be born again to a living hope through His resurrection. Salvation future - we have an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance reserved in heaven for us and ready to be revealed in the last time. Salvation present - even now God is protecting us by His power for this salvation to come. Because this salvation is sure, then our joy is great - no matter what we might be suffering. Our joy is not found in our circumstances but in our God and in His grace to us in Jesus. Are we distressed right now? Absolutely, and Peter does not deny the distressing, sorrowful nature of trials and afflictions. Yet he affirms that even in our sorrow there is a deeper undercurrent of joy that holds us up as we suffer. So let us rejoice and be glad even as we endure the hardships of these days.

3. Though we cannot gather for corporate worship right now, we can and must gather for private worship and family worship. The desire to limit the spread of the coronavirus has led us to forego assembling together in person on the Lord’s Day for a season, and thankfully we have the technology to meet virtually through the internet. But formal worship in the public assembly is not our only opportunity to worship God. Yes, it’s true, all of life is to be worship for the Christian, so that whether we eat or drink or work or play, we are to do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31). But more specifically, we are to worship God in secret, each one by ourselves, and in our families. Spend time by yourself each day crying out to God in your distress, and thanking Him for His mercies that are new every morning. Listen to His word before you listen to the morning news or to your newsfeed on Twitter or Facebook. Fill your hearts with His truth before they are filled with fear and trembling at the increasing number of COVID-19 cases or the decreasing number of the stock markets. With our children off of school, and so many activities cancelled, even at church, it is all the more imperative that we redeem the time and take advantage of these strange circumstances to engage in family worship each day. Whether first thing in the morning or right after dinner or just before bed, gather your family together to sing, to read the Bible, and to pray. Keep it simple, especially if you’re doing family worship for the first time. Sing the assuring hymns and songs of the church down through the ages. Comfort and encourage the hearts of your children with God’s truth and grace. Answer their questions from His word. Praise and thank God for His goodness in the midst of suffering. Intercede for the sick, for our leaders, for health care workers, for those who don’t know Jesus, for missionaries in other countries. Worship Him as the God who does as things well.

There are so many more truths that we can take hold of and live in the light of, but I hope that these three will sustain your heart this day. God is sovereign, wise, and good.

"Thy Will" - A Poem by Patsy Futvoye

Many of you know that Patsy Futvoye (the mother of Dr. Matt Futvoye, one of our members here at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church) passed into the arms of King Jesus last week. At her funeral service Tuesday morning, Mr. Wiley Lowry, Minister of Pastoral Care at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, mentioned that Patsy had been writing poetry in the months preceding her death. Like so many disciples of Jesus in church history who have suffered long, her piety flowed out in written prayer and praise to the God who had saved her and sustained her by grace.

This past October Patsy penned the following words, read at her funeral and printed here with permission of her family. They beautifully display what I pray will be mine in ever-increasing measure through all my days: a keen awareness of her own fearful, doubting, sinful heart; a faith and confidence in our sovereign God in the midst of suffering; a hope in the gracious gospel of Jesus’ cross; and a Spirit-wrought longing for holiness that was satisfied in every way when she joined the ranks of the “spirits…made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23). May these stanzas be a source of comfort and strength for you as you endure the many tribulations through which we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).  

Thy Will

Walking the verge of death’s dark vale,
My doubts and fears do me assail.
Like dawn, your promises are clear 
That you will be forever near.
”Do not fear,” I hear you say.
You guide each minute of the day.
Sovereign are you in every way.
Align me with thy will, I pray. 

I know you have a special plan.
You sent a Savior, the Son of Man,
To bear the sin and take the blame,
Who carried the guilt and bore the shame.
Forgive me, Lord, the pain I brought,
The times my efforts came to naught.
The commandments you gave I did not heed,
Shunned and ignored my brother’s need. 

Thank you, Lord, for your precious Son.
Through faith in Him, my victory’s won.
He has paid my price and made a place
Through His measureless love and grace. 
Holy Spirit, warm my cold heart.
Let me ne’er from thee depart. 
Sovereign are you in every way.
Align me with thy will, I pray.

— Patsy Futvoye, October 2019

The One Thing You Must Do When You're Suffering

In his masterful devotional study, John Snyder says, “Israel’s measure of God was the measure of their hope—big God equals big hope.”

The context in which he is commenting comes after reading Isaiah 40. The book of Isaiah is divided into two major sections. Chapters 1-39 are written to God’s rebellious people who crave worldly security. Because of their rebellion, God tells them that exile is soon to come. Chapters 40-66 are prophecies about the later hope they will have amidst exile. Even though they will be in exile and under the dominion of Babylon there will nevertheless be a return to the land (a second Exodus).

In other words, chapter 40 is a word of hope amidst the turmoil, trial, and temptation to doubt God. What would give them hope to persevere? What would give them hope that God would never forget them? What would give them hope of deliverance? Verse 9 says, “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’”

That is why Snyder says, “Israel’s measure of God was the measure of their hope—big God equals big hope.” Is this your hope as well? The one thing you must do when you’re suffering is to behold your God. The size of your hope is directly correlated to the “size” of your God.

What does it look like to “behold your God” amidst suffering?

1. Study Him
   Suffering is the time to lean into your Bible reading. Suffering is the time to pick up a Systematic Theology or a doctrinal book. Why do we think that theology is only for seminarians and those who teach seminarians? Who came up with that suggestion? Suffering is the time to read authors who teach you the most about God. We need to study who God is and what God has done so that we can better interpret our suffering.

   Now, you can choose books that aren’t always helpful at the right time. It’s not always helpful to open up Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics (all 4 volumes!) when you're in the depths of suffering. But, sometimes it is! Different books work better at different times. The point is this: Don’t be satisfied with the shallow stuff. Don’t be satisfied with the OK stuff. Immerse yourself in the resources that saints of old have immersed themselves in.

   Much of what passes for “devotional” literature isn’t devotional at all. It is theology that truly transforms our thinking. We need to study God and seek to learn new things about God so that we can think, live, and feel differently. One of the best things I have done is read about the attributes of God during a tough period of suffering. I remember reading a book on the Trinity in a season of suffering. A God who is untameable is of great comfort. A God who I know everything about brings no hope.

   If our hope correlates to our view of God then we must strive to expand our view of God. We need help from modern and past saints. We need to read from those who have beheld God. But, we must be sure that we are not piggy-backing off their beholding. We must behold God for ourselves. Suffering is the time to make God our own. We must not rely on someone else’s words or experiences but rather we must meet the Lover of our souls for ourselves. What if God brought you into this particular suffering for you to know Him intimately.

   Suggested Reading:

   1. Confessing the Faith by Chad Van Dixhoorn

   2. Knowing God by J.I. Packer

   3. Reformed Dogmatics (in One Volume) by Herman Bavinck

   4. The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

2. Study Suffering
   This might sound strange but it is necessary. What is your doctrine of suffering? Are you suffering more because your doctrine of suffering isn’t accurate? For instance, are you angry because you don’t feel like you should be going through this? Are you depressed because you never thought you would have to hurt this way? Are you upset because you feel entitled to have inner peace all the time? We need to have a right theology of suffering. Our Lord was a man of sorrows (Is. 53). Jesus told us that we will suffer because He suffered (Mt. 10:22, Jn. 15:21). Paul told us that we will suffer (Ph. 1:29). Suffering is a temporary tool that God uses to rid us of our earthly treasures.
   Suggested Reading:

   1. Embodied Hope by Kelly Kapic

   2. Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop

   3. Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

3. Find Help From Others

   It is not enough to be alone and read books. The only suggestion here is to find a group of trusted people you can be vulnerable with. We are too trapped in our minds when we are only dealing with suffering by ourselves. We need other voices. We need others to speak truth to us. Who are the people who have suffered similarly and met God in their suffering? Who are the people that can show you your story in light of God’s Story? Who are the people that know when to speak and when to listen? We behold God in community. God requires us to have a personal relationship with Him but not a personal church. In other words, the church is not only you. You must be in the thick of God’s people. If God is a community in Himself (The Trinity) then you can be sure that you (made in the image of God) need community.

The Sovereignty of God in the Loss of a Child

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

A few hours before my sonogram, I had spoken at my Bible study about how we can trust God no matter what happens to us. Everything that comes to us has already passed through His hands, and it’s all for His glory. It was a fantastic discussion about God’s sovereignty in our book of Romans study that day. The women in the group were excited for me to find out the gender of my baby that afternoon and they all wanted updates. The waiting room at the doctor’s office was testing my patience; we couldn’t wait to find out that we were surely having a girl and we could use our girl name. We didn’t have a boy name yet.

“I’m sorry...” We found out our baby had passed away some time the day before and I had no idea. Suddenly I was plunged into the shock and fumbling darkness that only sudden tragedy can bring upon someone. Upon delivery the next day, we saw he was a boy. Our third little boy. We didn’t have a name for a boy, and we were too overwhelmed to think of one. We decided God already knew his name and was calling it even now. One day we—his parents—would see him and learn his name too. We named him Baby Boy, held him, and let him go.

It was a darkness I would stumble through for many months—the deep dark valley of the shadow of death. Recovering from childbirth with empty arms. Crying out to the Lord to help me. Help me understand. Help me see. Help me get through to the other side. Repenting of jealousy, repenting of doubting His goodness, numbly reading my Bible, days of silence before God. He never left my side.

A few months later finishing my Bible study, while still very raw, I was able to stand up and say that “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever.” I believe it so deeply now. I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and I have come out the other side with my arms full of spiritual riches. God was taking me down this sanctifying path to give me something greater than I could have ever imagined: a closeness to the Father, a conformity to the Son, and the comfort of the Spirit. Because “even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You” (Psalm 139:12). There is no depth, nowhere to be found, where God cannot carry you with supreme guidance. Not only did God ordain this, it was to be for my good. He loved me enough to not let me stay where I was. Tragedy doesn’t come to us because God doesn’t love us. This happened to me because God loves me and desires my holiness. This suffering was and still is great, but not greater than the glory that is to come. And so as I approach the one year anniversary of my loss, I do not say lightly, “To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Suffering and Psalm 63

If you are suffering today, or this week, or this year, and you haven’t spent time in Psalm 63 recently, I encourage you to do it! David’s words are refreshingly realistic and filled with hope and God-centered joy in the midst of dryness and weariness. On the Desiring God website, staff writer Marshall Segal has written a helpful meditation upon this psalm entitled, “The Joy We Know Only in Suffering.” Make use of it as you walk through the wildernesses. God is present even there, and our longing for Him demonstrates how satisfying He is.

Thanks to ruling elder Adam Adcock for recommending this article.